In Memoriam & Mining Injuries

at Bradford & Clayton Collieries

Coal mining was a dangerous occupation and this page records the names of some of the miners who either lost their lives or were injured in the course of their work at Bradford and Clayton Collieries, Manchester.
Clayton Colliery was subsequently subsumed by Bradford Colliery.

The men listed were all coal miners, that is, hewers of coal unless stated otherwise, and this selection is representative of a larger number.

In Memoriam, Bradford Colliery

6 May 1856: Daniel SIDDALL, aged 30 years. Strangled by the cage chain twisting round his neck on landing at the bottom of the pit.(Archives, Manchester Central Library, Newton Sub-District, NEW/10/292, 1856)

19 August 1865: James STOTT, aged 40 years. Falling while going down the steps from a pit hill.(Archives, Manchester Central Library, Market Street Sub-District, MST/81/362, 1865)

9 September 1865: William KNIVETON, aged 33 years. Fatally injured by a fall of stone and died on the 19 September 1865.(Archives, Manchester Central Library, Market Street Sub-District, MST/82/25, 1865)

15 January 1867: Richard HUGHES, aged 13 years. Boy. Head crushed between the roof and an empty coal tub when it started moving up the jig brow.(GRO, March Quarter 1867, Manchester, 8d 285)

21 January 1875: Thomas ISHERWOOD, aged 33 years. Fatally injured on the 11 January 1875 when he was caught against a coupling while riding up engine brow.(Archives, Manchester Central Library, Market Street Sub-District, MST/110/456, 1875)

6 September 1875: Edward STANFIELD, aged 28 years, of Peter Street, Openshaw. Fatally injured on the 3 September 1875 by a roof fall in old workings where he was getting stone to build a pack wall.(Archives, Manchester Central Library, Market Street Sub-District, MST/112/229, 1875)

2 February 1882: John ROBERTS, aged 61 years. Caught between a coal tub and the roof.(Archives, Manchester Central Library, Newton Sub-District, NEW/50/196, 1882)

30 April 1890: James PUGH, aged 32 years. While working in the Parker Mine he was fatally injured in a roof fall and died the same day in Manchester Royal Infirmary.(Archives, Manchester Central Library, Central Sub-District, CEN/22/432, 1890)

20 August 1897: James KNIGHT, aged 34 years. Roof fall in his working place from a slip known to be present.(GRO, September Quarter 1897, Barton upon Irwell, 8c 411)

25 July 1898: Joseph JACKSON, aged 15 years. Horse Driver. While driving a horse hauling full tubs along a level he went missing. After a search he was found under the first tub and he appeared to have
fallen off it.(Archives, Manchester Central Library, Newton Sub-District, NEW/101/177, 1898)

3 July 1909: Samuel WALSH, aged 51 years, of Holt Street, Bradford. Died of injuries received in a roof fall.(GRO, September Quarter 1909, Prestwich, 8d 232)

19 April 1912: Frederick John OLIVER, aged 55 years of Milton Street, Bradford. While pulling coal with a crowbar, the roof came down with the coal, displacing two props.(Archives, Manchester Central Library, Bradford Sub-District, BRA/7/61, 1912)

20 March 1856: James OPENSHAW, aged 11 years. Described as a boy. Roof fall.(Tameside Register Office, Audenshaw Sub-District, AUD/10/5, 1856)

5 April 1856: William BAYLEY, aged 44 years. Fatally injured on the 2 April 1856 by an explosion of firedamp. Another miner was burned.(Archives, Manchester Central Library, Ancoats Sub-District, ANC/61/135, 1856)

8 September 1865: Charles SHAWCROSS, aged 16 years. Described as a boy. Fired a can with 4 pounds of powder in it.(Archives, Manchester Central Library, Market Street Sub-District, MST/81/477, 1865)

20 August 1866: Thomas JOHNSON, aged 40 years. Fatally injured on the 14 August 1866 by an explosion of firedamp.(Tameside Register Office, Audenshaw Sub-District, AUD/16/90, 1866)

17 December 1868: James LOVATT, aged 30 years. Roof fall as he was taking a piece of coal out of the side.(Archives, Manchester Central Library, Sub-District Market Street, MST/93/202, 1868)

14 July 1872: Meshach KENYON, aged 45 years. Explosion of firedamp in 2-foot mine. A flash in the upper end of the face work which he entered with a candle without trying with the safety lamp.
The fireman had neglected to examine the far end for which he was prosecuted and fined.(Tameside Register Office, Audenshaw Sub-District, AUD/20/87, 1872)

12 September 1873: Thomas STAFFORD, aged 60 years. Engineman. Knocked from scaffold in the pumping shaft by the capstan rope breaking as he was working at the pumps.(Tameside Register Office, Audenshaw Sub-District, AUD/21/72, 1873)